The Windsor GM was in full hockey dad mode, rooting for a Western Conference semi­final series victory over the London Knights, the team that has handed his Spitfires eight consecutive playoff game losses.

He was there to support son and Storm forward Kerby, who has been surrounded by the Memorial Cup since he was a kid, but is now in his best position to win it himself.

“That’s every player’s goal in junior and it’s going to be my last year (in the OHL),” Kerby, the 19-year-old Columbus first-rounder said. “We’ve got a lot of good players here in Guelph and a lot of depth.”

He’s not the same level of go-to guy when he was Windsor’s star sniper. But he has been a big part of Guelph’s success against the Knights — he and linemate Robby Fabbri took over the third period of a pivotal Game 3 win in London.

“At the start, when I was traded here, it was a little bit of an adjustment but I’m pretty used to it now,” Kerby said. “You’re always moving and always involved in the game (with Guelph’s up-tempo style). I still put (personal) expectations on myself (to score), but I just want to keep winning.”

As a kid, Kerby took in some games at the 2005 tournament in London when the Knights won it all on home ice. He also helped celebrate Windsor’s back-to-back Cup titles in 2009-10, historic teams put together by his father.

He ended up, after Barrie’s controversial selection of the young forward in the 2010 OHL draft, being dealt to the Cup host Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors in his rookie year.

But he was traded home to Windsor at mid-season, missing a chance to win it all.

This year, the Spitfires bid to hold the Cup, promising a team with Kerby as the centrepiece, but lost that right to London.

Instead, Rychel became part of a blockbuster deal, along with defenceman Nick Ebert, to Guelph — a move the Knights couldn’t make because they didn’t have enough draft picks and weren’t willing to move their exceptional young talent.

“We (Windsor) didn’t really have a lot of assets to make many trades with the sanctions (the Spits were slapped by the league for illegal player recruitment),” Kerby said. “Management (led by Warren) chose to go in the other direction and it was a big trade for the organization.”

From afar, he watched his old team and friends in Windsor dismantled by London in Round 1.

“I paid attention to all the series,” he said, “but it was a tough one for Windsor going in after losing their best two D-men. They were pretty thin back there.”

The Spitfires were swept, but they helped take a bite out of the Knights roster before they moved on to face Kerby Rychel and the Storm.

London goalie Anthony Stolarz was suspended eight games and defenceman Zach Bell broke his leg in the final game.

Rychel’s dream now is to get to London, and raise the Cup. “It’s the best and biggest rink in the league,” he said. “You always get up to play there.”